The legal landscape is changing fast. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are no longer a curiosity; they are becoming part of how skilled attorneys and advocates take instructions, conduct research, draft pleadings, prepare heads of argument, and write opinions. This intensive practical course empowers practitioners to deploy AI-assisted drafting confidently, ethically, and within the structures of POPIA and the broader ethical and regulatory landscape.
The course pairs traditional drafting with hands-on practice using AI tools like Lexis+ AI, Claude, LexCore, and ChatGPT. Module 1 (Client engagement and AI fundamentals) is compulsory as it forms the foundation for Module 2 (Pleadings and prompt engineering).
Each module consists of:
- a pre-module video
- two hours of advanced traditional drafting
- a two-hour AI bridging session
- three hours of hands-on AI practical work
All this is supported by a comprehensive manual and a standalone reference card for each module, containing checklists, prompt libraries, and POPIA summaries you can use in the office.
| Module | Document focus | AI focus |
| (Traditional part of legal drafting) | (How AI can assist in drafting) | |
| Module 1 | • Client engagement • The art of taking instructions • Eliciting the facts • Analysis and organising of the facts • Identifying relevant documents • Recording and confirming instructions • Ethical duties at the instruction stage |
AI foundations: The tools landscape: Which tool to use for which task. POPIA and the broader regulatory and ethical landscape. How to do all of this without falling foul of POPIA and the broader regulatory and ethical landscape. Practical work: PRACTICAL SESSION 2: Advanced AI Techniques and Workflow Development: |
| Module 2 | • The object of pleadings • What are pleadings • Document preparation procedure • Structure and layout of Particulars of Claim • Style and formulaic expressions • Key drafting rules and principles • Practical drafting exercises |
Practical Prompt Engineering for Legal Drafting with AI: PRACTICAL SESSION 1: AI-assisted pleading drafting: PRACTICAL SESSION 2: Advanced AI Techniques and Peer Review: |
- Introduction to the course and its structure.
- Module 1: Client engagement and taking instructions in complex South African matters
- Module 1: AI foundations and the tools landscape - Claude, ChatGPT, Lexis+ AI, SAFLII, and Adjunct
- Module 1: AI for legal research, citation verification against SAFLII, and the hallucination defence
- Module 2: Pleasings - drafting particulars of claim to the elements of the cause of action
- Module 2: Pleas, exceptions, amendments and Rule 23 / 30 practice under the Uniform Rules
- Module 2: Prompt engineering for litigation drafting using the RCTFC framework
- Comprehensive course manual, standalone reference cards, and a curated prompt library for daily practice.
- Practising attorneys and advocates who want to integrate AI into their drafting workflow without compromising professional standards or client confidentiality.
- Candidate attorneys and pupil advocates who want a strong foundation in advanced traditional drafting alongside the AI tools that are reshaping South African practice.
- Senior practitioners and firm principals responsible for setting policy on AI use, citation verification, and POPIA compliance within their practice.
- Various study options are available.
- Module 1 takes place in person in Lynnwood, Pretoria, on 22 July, and Module 2 on 29 July 2026. In-person attendance is limited to 48 participants.
- Zoom lectures will take place on the mornings of 9 and 10 September (Module 1), and 16 and 17 September 2026 (Module 2). The sessions take place from 08:30-12:00.
- Recordings will be available 5 days after the Zoom lectures have taken place. - Each module comprises teaching, a 30-minute pre-module video, two hours of advanced traditional drafting, a two-hour bridging session, and three hours of hands-on AI practical work. Module 1 is recommended as the starting point.
- Each module is independently enrollable. Participants without Lexis+ AI subscriptions will have access to a free 14-day LexisNexis trial for the duration of each module. Participants will have free access to LexCore for the duration of the course. Login credentials will be arranged before Module 1 commences.
- Students who attend in person are required to bring a laptop. Free Wi-Fi will be available. You’ll be required to register for free access to Lexis+ AI before Module 1 commences.
- Each module is accompanied by a comprehensive manual and standalone reference cards, including checklists, prompt libraries, AI tool comparisons, redaction workflows, and POPIA summaries.
- Contact Linda Kleinhans for enquiries: linda
gawieleroux.co.za
- Walk away with a robust mastery of advanced traditional drafting in client engagement, pleadings, applications, heads of argument, and legal opinions.
- You will be able to deploy legal vertical tools like Lexis+ AI and LexCore, and general-purpose tools like Claude, and ChatGPT confidently in South African practice — including citation verification against SAFLII, prompt engineering for litigation drafting, and structured AI-assisted review of your own work and that of opposing counsel.
- You will know exactly where the professional, ethical, and POPIA boundaries lie when using AI in legal practice. You’ll understand how to keep your work, your client’s information, and your practice on the right side of those boundaries.